“Everything in this house belongs to me.” Her voice sounded sharp and angry. “You put those things back, or I will call the sheriff and he can settle this.”
“You would call the sheriff to report a sewing kit and a few keepsakes? I can’t believe it!”
“You should believe it.”
Just then Karah poked her head in the room. “Are you leaving, Delilah?”
“Yes, I am afraid I must. Thank you for your hospitality, Karah.”
She went to hug me, but Isla prevented it. “You are not leaving with these things. You empty those cases now! I do not make empty threats—just ask my daughter.”
“Mother, I told her she could have a few of her mother’s treasures. Surely that is permissible.”
Isla slapped her across the face. “Get out!” Karah scurried out of the room sobbing.
I grabbed Isla’s arms and shook her. “How dare you hit her? You evil woman! Don’t ever touch her again!”
To my utter surprise, she smiled and then kissed me. In revulsion I pushed her away and ran out the door after Karah. “Karah! Where are you?” She was not in her room, and Hooney was nowhere to be found. The balcony door overlooking the Moonlight Garden was open, and I walked toward it. “Karah!” I did not see her and turned to walk back inside when Isla stepped in my path.
“Move out of my way!” I said angrily, but she only laughed. Then her beautiful face hardened. She shoved me toward the balcony, and I fell to the floor. “What do you think you’re doing, Isla?”
“I am doing what I should have done a long time ago. I should have done it when you were too stupid to know who you were, but it is no matter. You are worm food now, I suppose.” She giggled as she brandished an evil-looking knife.
“Oh God, what are you doing?” I lay sprawled on the floor, my mind racing. I looked about me, hoping to find something to defend myself with. But there was nothing, only a chair and a table. “Why are you doing this, Isla? I am your blood.”
“Now, now, don’t be difficult. Be still, cousin. I don’t want to get your blood all over my new dress.” The knife arced toward me as I rolled and scrambled to my feet. I was standing now, but she still blocked the only exit. “Very well. If you prefer to jump, I won’t stop you. Go ahead.” She pointed her knife to the balcony’s edge.
“No!” I shouted. “Karah!”
“Leave my daughter out of this unless you want to get her killed too. Now be a good girl and do as I tell you. Keep moving—this will all be over soon.” I heard a noise below and saw Karah looking up at me. Isla sliced my arm with the blade, and I screamed.
“No! Go away!” I kicked the chair at her as I cried and moved out of her reach. Blood poured down my arm as she herded me to the edge of the balcony just as she’d promised. “What do you want? Why are you doing this?”
“Since the first day I arrived here, I knew this was mine. My adulteress sister didn’t deserve this place—neither did her fool of a daughter. Calpurnia was so stupid—it was mind-numbingly easy to make her believe that David loved her, but he never did. He only ever loved me!” She shouted and waved her knife. “Now there is just one untidy loose end left. You. The forgotten bastard. I told Claudette that you wouldn’t be so easily dissuaded, but she was too proper to agree to my solution. But here we are, just the two of us. I sent Stokes away, and Hooney is so old and blind, she’d never hear you even if you cried day and night.”
My back was against the railing now. There was nowhere else for me to go. Only down, down, down to my death. I looked down again but only for a second in case she sliced me again. “Help me! Somebody!” I screamed into the fading light. Nobody answered. I turned to see Isla waving her blade again, and this time she tore through my dress and cut my abdomen. I cried out in pain.
“Mother! Stop it!” Karah reached for an old wooden cane that stood in a bucket near the doorway. She raised it high and swung at her mother.
Isla crumpled to the ground and squealed angrily. “Stupid girl!” She clutched her arm and reached for her knife.
“Stop, Mother! You are out of your mind!”
“Such a coward! How could I have raised such a coward? I never wanted you, did you know that? All I ever wanted was my captain—and my home. That’s all I ever wanted. Now you want to throw it all away like it meant nothing. Like what I did meant nothing. You stupid coward!” She ran toward us with her knife raised, but Karah struck her again. She fell again, but I knew it wouldn’t stop her—she was truly mad.
“Run, Delilah!” My arm was slick with my own blood and I felt cold, but I tried to keep up with her. Then Docie appeared at the top of the stairs, her hands in her pockets and a murderous look on her face.
“Stop them, Docie!” Isla yelled as she tried to stand after Karah’s latest attack.
“You heard the mistress. Where do you think you’re going?” Karah’s face turned white, and I could see fear arresting her reasoning. It was my turn to do something. I snatched the cane and swung it toward Docie, hitting her square in the stomach. Without a sound she fell backwards down the stairs and landed at the bottom, her head turned at an awkward angle. Karah pulled me out of the way as Isla ran toward her, leaving her knife behind.
“No! Docie!”
“Run, Karah! Come with me!” We scrambled down the stairs and out the back of the house. A half hour later, my cousin and I appeared at Jackson’s door, and the last thing I remembered was Jackson lifting me out of the carriage in his strong arms. How I wanted to stay in his arms forever…
***
The first thing I did when I woke up was examine my arms. I had felt every painful slice Delilah had endured, and I was happy to see that those wounds had not followed me into my own life. I tried to still my breathing, and the baby fluttered about as if he too had seen and experienced the drama. I hoped I was wrong about that. I hoped Lenore was wrong.
Shh…sweet little one. It’s all right now. We’re safe.
As always, I reviewed what I dreamed, remembering details I thought would be important later. That surely hadn’t been the end of Delilah—I knew she had become a celebrated actress. But what about her and Jackson? Did they have a happily ever after? It would be nice to know that someone in Ashland’s family did. Ashland stirred beside me and put his arm around me. I lay back down and snuggled up next to him.
“Still dreaming, Carrie Jo?”
“Yes, still dreaming.”
“How about this once you just dream about us?”
“I like that idea. Now how do I do it?” I sighed, feeling tired but suddenly very peaceful.
With a devilish smile and a twinkle in his blue eyes, he whispered, “Let me help you with that.”
With a smile of my own I agreed.
Read more from M.L. Bullock
The Seven Sisters Series
Seven Sisters
Moonlight Falls on Seven Sisters
Shadows Stir at Seven Sisters
The Stars that Fell
The Stars We Walked Upon
The Desert Queen Series
The Tale of Nefret
The Falcon Rises (forthcoming)
The Kingdom of Nefret (forthcoming)
The Sirens Gate Series (forthcoming)
The Mermaid’s Gift
The Blood Feud
The Wrath of Minerva
The Lorelei Curse
The Fortunate Star
The Southern Gothic Series
Being with Beau
Connect with M.L Bullock on Facebook. To receive updates on her latest releases, visit her website at M.L. Bullock and subscribe to her mailing list.
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The Stars We Walked Upon (Seven Sisters Series Book 5) Page 16